


But love from love, toward school with heavy looks

by Petruschin



Category: History Boys (2006), History Boys - All Media Types, History Boys - Bennett
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-28
Updated: 2015-09-28
Packaged: 2018-04-23 21:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4892683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petruschin/pseuds/Petruschin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Irwin has to teach Stuart Dakin whilst staying professional. This can sometimes prove to be quite a difficult task.</p><p>Title is from Romeo and Juliet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	But love from love, toward school with heavy looks

_Thud._

“Dakin.”

“Yes, _sir_?” Irwin had to bite the inside of his lip at the sound of Dakin calling him “Sir” in such a purring, curious voice. Dakin was being very tempting today, or at least, Irwin was being very tempted today, and it was becoming more and more of an effort for Irwin to exercise his habitual control.

“Could you stop banging the table with your foot?” Irwin chided whilst raising one eyebrow, eyes trained to stay on the words of the paper in front of him.

“Why?” Dakin stretched out the single syllable word, Irwin could practically hear the smug grin on his face and the brightness darting around in his eyes. A doubtless beautiful sight, he thought to himself.

“All the harder to mark your work with.”

“I see”, Dakin acquiesced, leaning back slightly. “And what do you think?”

Irwin let out a small laugh, eyes darting briefly towards the younger boy. “Well, it’s certainly an interesting subject. I’m currently reading the paragraph on your theory that Henry VIII was a closeted homosexual.”

“Yes, I like that one.” Dakin grinned, crossing his arms over his chest. “And?”

“Well, I’m almost impressed by the way you managed to phrase the fact that he…” Irwin found that he couldn’t find the correct words without blushing, something he wasn’t willing to do in front of this particular student this afternoon.

“Couldn’t get hard for his six wives?” Dakin supplemented Irwin’s trailing sentence with ease, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Yes- that- in an almost professional sounding way.” Irwin stuttered before regaining his confidence, turning back to the paper. “However, I’m not convinced by your argument that his laws sentencing homosexuals to death are simply characteristic of a closeted homosexual himself and in fact add to the score of evidence rather than detracting from it.” Irwin couldn’t help but release a small smile once again. He always found Dakin’s writing one of the most interesting of the bunch, but this essay was particularly compelling- it was clear that Dakin had been putting more and more effort into his lessons and strictly from a professional, teacher’s point of view, this made his heart beat a little faster with happiness.

“You’re a hard one to please, that’s for sure.” Dakin’s voice broke Irwin out of his small reverie. “What about my other evidence?”

“It’s perhaps a tad too much for the fellows of Oxford.” Irwin let out a breath.

“It’s true though! Katherine Howard once stated she knew how to please a man without getting pregnant. Sounds like sodomy to me, sir.” Dakin sang with a ring in his voice, eliciting another laugh from his teacher.

“Without being too indiscreet, it doesn’t directly mean sodomy… She could be adhering to a manner of… techniques.” Irwin looked up at Dakin’s highly amused expression and tried to feel indignant. “Your evidence isn’t strong enough.”

“How about the quote from Anne Boleyn? The king was “not able to satisfy a woman, neither having the skill or the virility.”

“Yes, I was surprised you found that one. It helps your case, certainly, but I still don’t see this as a completely fleshed out argument. Hopefully your next essay shall be more convincing.” Irwin assessed, flashing Dakin a tight smile and rising from his seat in a silent ending of their session before Dakin grabbed his wrist.

Skin on skin, Irwin immediately tensed up. It wasn’t like he wanted Dakin to run that hand up the entirety of his arm and other his shoulder, into his hair, or along his waist-

-but Dakin let the hand drop, almost as soon as he had put it there in the first place, and gave Irwin a look of interest, as if he was sizing up his reaction.

Irwin realised he had been in a state of silence for perhaps a stretch too long. “Dakin? What was that for?”

“Sorry, impulse control.” Dakin let out a small laugh, as if he knew that wasn’t a satisfactory explanation but it was the only one he was going to give anyway. “ _Il ne faut pas toucher aux idoles: la dorure en reste aux mains_.”

Irwin tried to do a translation in his head, but the pace the gobbit that had been rattled off by Dakin was leaving him with no real result. “You lose me when you speak French.”

“It’s Gustave Flaubert, sir. You should get yourself a French Dictionary so you can keep up with me.”

“Ah, yes, one of my major concerns, keeping up with my students.” Dakin let out a wide grin at the sarcasm he had coaxed out of his teacher and went to stand too. Irwin was giving him what he thought was a rather peevish look, but due to Dakin’s pat on the shoulder before leaving the room with an air of complete satisfaction, Irwin thought it may be best to revise some of his authoritative glares soon.


End file.
